As I drove home for lunch I passed by a city crew putting up traffic signs adjacent to the baseball fields off Royal Avenue.

The signs say “Slow Down” and will have a display showing the speed of passing cars. I thought to myself, this is a good thing as this section of road is known as an unsafe area, but does it address the real problem, the lack of adequate parking for the fields?

This section of Royal has been in the news lately in regards to safety concerns of the parents of children who use these fields and drivers, like me, who pass by them every day.

The concerns of both groups are valid. The parents complain of the speed of cars as they drive past. The drivers complain of the parents and children who jaywalk and do not use the installed crosswalk and signal that were put there to help them safely cross the street.

As I was driving back to work past the ball fields, I first slowed down as the sign said and then looked around at the area for ideas on what to do about the parking issue. I came up with three ideas.

First, there is ample parking in the industrial lots adjacent to the ball fields on the south side of Royal. The city and the leagues should negotiate agreements with these businesses to use the parking lots during off hours and then encourage the use of these parking lots, as this would allow people to park and not have to cross the street.

Second, the city should make parking on the north and south side of Royal, adjacent to and across from the ballfields, illegal. This would make this area safer, as it would give drivers a clear view of the curb next to the crosswalk.

Third, and the solution to the real problem, would be for the city to build a parking lot for the baseball fields.

Since I moved here in 1989 our city has expanded greatly, and the city has done a good job in improving city streets and facilities to make it a safer place to live.

I believe that through the concentrated efforts of both drivers and pedestrians, along with the addition of the improvements described above, we could eliminate one more unsafe area.
Jim Thomsen
Simi Valley